New York City is set to become the first major metropolitan area in the nation to implement a fee for motorists entering the city's most traffic-congested roadways.
According to a report from NPR, state lawmakers approved the plan earlier this week, and the new tolls are expected to take effect in 2021. The goal of the congestion pricing system is to reduce gridlock while generating funding for the city's struggling transit system. It is anticipated that the tolling will generate $15 billion in revenue for the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA).
The plan for the city will be to implement what is known as cordon pricing, in which motorists will pay to enter a particular zone. The zone in this case will be south of 60th Street in Manhattan.
The precise charge amount for motorists entering this area have yet to be announced. A task force convened by Gov. Andrew Cuomo last year floated ideas for various flat rates for cars and trucks. The tolls will be variable, and passenger vehicles are to be charged once per day. Drivers entering the zone will be automatically charged via an E-ZPass or will be billed based off their license plate number.
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Source: NPR
